A Daisy Among Thorns
by thePrecociousQuill
Summary: A daisy in the language of flowers speaks of innocence, purity, faith. Overall a delicate and nonthreatening flora. Ito Hirobumi had this in mind when he meticulously named his first child, Hinagiku. However, as Hinagiku now stood across from the business end of an activated Dominator, she couldn't help but think that she resembled a thorn-bush much more than a sinless daisy.
1. Daisy

**Greetings all and welcome! All rights to Psycho Pass go to its respective owners. This plot, Ito Hinagiku, and any other unrecognizable characters are property of thePrecociousQuill. Enjoy, friends!**

* * *

A Daisy Among Thorns

Chapter One: Daisy

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 _17_ _th_ _December, 2104; Tokyo, NONA Tower_

* * *

"Ito-san, do you know why you have been brought here today?"

The girl in question looked up from her lap to stare unblinkingly into the eyes of the dark-haired Inspector sitting across the desk from her. Her stare was so scathing that it took a good bit of restraint for the Inspector not to flinch. It was like looking into the abyss that led straight to the awaiting flames of Hell.

"Of course I know why I am here," The girl scoffed, releasing the Inspector from her intense glower as she turned her head to the side in frustration.

An intense loathing of her predicament seemed to ooze out of her every pore in plain disdain. She looked around the claustrophobic interrogation room, her eyes scanning the blank walls for any sign of possible escape. When she found none outside that of the door that the Inspector has just used to enter the room, her expression soured further.

The Inspector cleared his throat before continuing, "During a routine street scan at 7:15 this morning, your Psycho-Pass was detected as clouded and above accep—"

He was interrupted by an admonishing tut, "Don't you think it is a bit rude to start throwing out accusations at me before you have even introduced yourself, _Inspector_?"

The young man tilted his head to the side, his silver gaze narrowing to analyze every visible and psychological aspect available to him of the girl sitting cross-legged just a few feet away.

Her skin was a pale ivory, unblemished with the exception of the dark rings that hung under her eyes. Burgundy colored locks fell around her petite frame in unkempt waves, the length pooling at her waist as she sat. However, her most notable feature were her eyes. Not for their elegant shape or honey-color, but for the shear ferocity that was settled deep with them.

She was quite young. If he remembered correctly, her Psycho-Pass had read her birth year as 2090, making her only fourteen. That fact was somewhat difficult to believe. He hadn't been in the room mere moments before she fixed those daunting eyes on him, and had used them to hypothetically hold him in place as she lashed him to-and-fro with that terribly quick-witted and wicked tongue of her's.

However, despite all of her irreverence for the situation she was precariously placed in, the rookie MWPSB officer couldn't find it in himself to dislike the girl. Her spunk was refreshing, so contrary to the typical denial and pleading he had come accustomed to since he had begun holding these sorts of interrogation meetings when he had joined the MWPSB just over a month ago. From her pointed questions, he could also tell that she was a straightforward, no bullshit type of person.

It was the kind of personality quirk that he truly valued, and it was also the type of trait that he found in himself which pushed him to answer her inquiry.

"Kogami. Kogami Shinya, Division Three Inspector."

The burgundy-haired girl seemed momentarily surprised by his lack of rebuttal, but when she returned her gaze to him, a smirk lightly painted her thin lips, "My, what a gentleman you are, Inspector Kogami. My name is Ito Hinagiku. Though, as you are one of Sibyl's many pawns, I am sure you are already well aware of that."

Ah. With her last statement it had become all too apparent to Kogami why a girl this young was lounging in a chair with his partner's handcuffs decorating her wrists. Not only was Ito Hinagiku strikingly self-confident and perceptive, she was a dissident of the Sibyl System. Those who failed to properly respect the Sibyl System were all too likely to get caught in the intricacies of Sibyl's few and barely perceptible flaws.

"Hinagiku…that's quite a sedate given-name for someone who has as high of a Crime Coefficient as you do," Kogami finally spoke in response to her jab.

"Hm?" Ito slouched in her seat and placed her thin-soled shoes on the desk separating them, "My father chose it. From birth he had high hopes that I would be as demure and nonthreatening as a daisy. Too bad it seems like I'm not exactly living up to that ideal. Not that I am particularly fond of the name anyway. Calling me by my surname, Ito, works just as well."

Kogami watched as the petite red-head played with the chain linking the metal cuffs on each of her bony wrists. She lightly ran her fingers along the chain, eliciting a high pitched jingle as the metal links bounced against each other. The handcuffs seemed to completely grab her attention for a few seconds before she was once again holding eye contact with him with those fearsome orbs.

"Tell me, _Shinya_ …unlike me, have you had the chance to live up to your name?" Her malice was thinly veiled by a tight-lipped grin, "Are you _truthful_?"

Those dark eyes bore into his soul, and Kogami found himself having to look away from their intensity.

For someone so young, Ito was quite the lioness. It was important to remind himself that this was not merely a witty child that was taking pleasure in pressing his buttons, but someone with a Crime Coefficient well over the acceptable level who was intricately attempting to weave tendrils of manipulation through their conversation. Admittedly, the detective within him was an inquisitive fly that was all too willing to wonder into that web.

In a confident voice, the Inspector ran his fingers through his shaggy midnight hair, and quipped, "I am a disciple of the law. Nothing is more truthful than justice."

The smile fell from Ito's face, and she blankly stared at the other occupant in the room. Several moments of tense silence passed before a giggle found itself bubbling out of her chest. It was a short-lived, but genuine sound.

"Read that straight out of the textbook, did you?" Ito drawled, humor highlighting her tone.

Kogami was stoic, but a barely visible smirk quirked up one side of his mouth, "Yes, nevertheless I also find that my own ideals align with that principle."

The feisty girl nodded in understanding, "Perhaps, I owe you an apology? You don't seem as much of a stiff as I first perceived you as."

Placing her feet back on the ground, she continued, "Anyway, back to the matter at hand. Where were we? Something about the notoriously high Crime Coefficient I seem to have racked up?"

Kogami couldn't help but to shake his head at her antics. Between her spirited persona and the way she had mentioned her clouded Psycho-Pass in such a carefree manner, Ito brought a certain hot-blooded Enforcer to the forefront of his mind. It nearly felt more as if he were having a conversation with Sasayama Mitsuru, minus the occasional misogynistic comment and lack of colorful language, rather than a teenage girl.

He almost wished that he could open the door to let the Division One Enforcer in just to hear the banter that was likely to ensue between the two. Since he had met the brunet man on a cross divisional case two weeks ago, Kogami could already gather that Sasayama was someone who could appreciate the irony in things that most others would find grating. The young Inspector was certain that Sasayama would get a kick out of going head-to-head with someone whom was just as aggressive as he was, especially if that someone was a charming young lady. If nothing else, it was sure to be amusing.

Unfortunately, young girls whom had Crime Coefficients high enough to nearly activate the Dominator's Lethal Eliminator mode were no laughing matter. So, instead of acting on his curiosity, Kogami steeled his nerves and muted his entertained expression. Now was the time for law, not whims.

"Ito Hinagiku."

Ito mockingly raised her hand, the other arm reluctantly following as her wrists were bound together, and called, "Present, sensei!"

When Kogami ignored her jest, she dropped her hands back to her lap, and attempted to smooth out a wrinkle in the skirt of her Oso Academy uniform. She felt the change in the Inspector's demeanor turn back to the seriousness that he had first exhibited when he had entered. Once again her face was wiped blank with the exception of her smoldering eyes. No shift in atmosphere seemed to be able to dim their vivacity.

"During a routine street scan at 7:15 this morning, your Psycho Pass was detected as clouded," the stoic man reiterated his earlier explanation, "the drone detected an abnormal spike in the Crime Coefficient for the Oso Academy area. The bot was further able to narrow down that it was your singular Psycho-Pass discharging such a high reading, and skewing the local statistic.

We detected a crime inducement factor from your Psycho-Pass wave. Your mind's Crime Coefficient is above the acceptable value. Thus, you were detained and brought here for holding."

"So," Ito shrugged casually as if the fact that her Hue was the color of mud didn't affect her in the slightest, "what's the recommended course of action? Digital therapy? A counseling session? A stress care drug regiment? I have a Classic Literature exam later today, and I'd hate to miss it after all the relentless hours of study I've put into it. If we could finish this up befo—"

It was Kogami's turn to interrupt now, brows furrowing, he spoke slowly and deliberately, "I don't think you understand what I am saying, Ito-san."

"Of course I do. Lots of my friends have come in for stress management sessions," the girl responded flippantly, though something about the way she sat a little straighter told Kogami that she wasn't as ignorant as she seemed.

With a stony expression, the older of the pair deliberated what he was about to say next. He felt a tug somewhere around where his heart should be. This would be the first time he had ever delivered a judgement on someone who was not only so young, but clearly so vivacious.

The voice of his underdeveloped conscience echoed in his mind too quiet to hear, too unused to make him question the morality of imprisoning a teenage girl because a disembodied entity told him to.

Unbeknownst to him at the time, but years from now, when Kogami would be defecting from all he had worked so hard to protect, he would recall this as the first of many instances he would come to question the Sibyl System. For him, this would be the first nail in Sibyl's coffin. It also would not be the last time Ito Hinagiku would provide him with a nail to secure that coffin shut.

His fists tightened as he delivered the verdict, "Your Crime Coefficient is 283. Sibyl has determined that you have a zero percent possibility for recovery."

"Ah," Ito murmured, realization plainly dawning on her face, "I see. I suppose I really won't have a chance to live up to my name. Daisies aren't known for being a threat to society, after all."

The conflicted Inspector continued on, afraid he'd falter if he stopped now,

"Ito Hinagiku, you have been judged a Latent Criminal."

The meaning of the label settled deep within her bones. Kogami could now see that she clearly understood the gravity of her situation. Her face had drained of all its color.

Ito lowered her head, the first sign of defeated she had shown since they had begun this whole ordeal. A curtain of burgundy waves blessedly fell to obscure her face from any onlookers. Her fingers still attempted to smooth out the wrinkle in her skirt, but now they quivered with unshed emotion.

Though the teenager's shoulders shook as if she were crying, when she spoke next, her voice still possessed that cheeky lilt, "I presume this means that I won't make it in time to take my Classic Literature exam, huh?"

"No, you will be moved to an isolation cell in a Rehabilitation Facility in the Hachiouji District," Kogami's eyes softened minutely, while he didn't exactly feel sympathetic, it was still difficult to see someone so young be broken.

"Is that so?" Her voice was small, a far cry from her earlier vibrato.

"Yes, a unit from the First Division will be entering to relocate you in a matter of minutes."

"Oh…so soon?"

"Yes," He sighed. The least he could do was answer her queries.

"That's unfortunate," a disgruntled snort sounded from behind her wall of hair, "That doesn't leave me much time."

The coal-colored hairs prickled on the back of Kogami's neck, something was beginning to feel not quite right, "Not leave you much time to what?"

Suddenly Ito's head jerked up to reveal her positively livid expression. The twitches he had mistaken for hidden crying where truly her attempt at reigning in her overwhelming surges of anger. Slender brows contorted her face into a ferocious scowl, her upper lip drawn back in a snarl.

Once again those venomous eyes, lined with the most delicate of lashes, bore straight through to the core of the young officer's very being.

Ito moved so fast that he never had the chance to even raise his Dominator before the wiry girl was standing. Contrary to her small size, she had managed to flip the desk that had once been the barrier between them. The force had pushed Kogami back hard enough that his head ricocheted against the wall.

Rushing forward, Ito used his brief moment of bewilderment from the blow to take advantage of the short window of time given to her, and smash her foot against the hand that held the Dominator. With as much force as she could muster in her tiny frame, she clasped her hands together and rammed her connected fists into his head like she was serving up a volleyball. The room spun as Kogami blindly clutched for his Dominator with the hand that hadn't been crushed.

Just as his vision was flickering in and out of consciousness, Kogami finally heard Ito's retort his question.

In that sassy voice she had used since the start of their meeting, the deceptive young girl snapped out,

"Enough time to escape, of course!"

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 **Author's Note: A mighty thanks to you all whom read this through to the end. Feel free to favorite, follow, and review. Let me know what you think, so I can decide whether or not to continue writing the misadventures of Hinagiku and her mishaps as she navigates the the intricate world of the Sibyl justice system. Thanks again!**


	2. Sick Fascination

**Greetings all and welcome! All rights to Psycho Pass go to its respective owners. This plot, Ito Hinagiku, and any other unrecognizable characters are property of thePrecociousQuill. Enjoy, friends!**

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A Daisy Among Thorns

Chapter Two: Sick Fascination

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 _17_ _th_ _December, 2104; Tokyo, In route to Hachiouji Rehabilitation Facility_

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Two perfectly circular burn marks about an inch apart in diameter stood stark against the pale skin of Ito Hinagiku's left thigh.

She found it impossible to keep her fingers from trailing over the abrasion that sat just below the hemline of her uniform skirt. The injury was a small reminder of the enormous stupidity of her earlier actions in the MWPSB station. Yet, as the girl slouched against the interior of the speeding paddy wagon, she could not exactly say that she regretted her foiled attempt at an escape.

Ito was uncertain of many things in this world where the Sibyl System was supposed to make everything seem so clear. The last few hours only served to deepen the lack of certitude in her life. However, following the brief altercation that has just transpired, two facts had become clearly solidified for her.

1\. Sibyl was an indiscriminate bitch.

2\. Having fifty thousand volts of electricity coursing through your body certainly does dampen one's mood.

It had happened mere moments after Ito had given her all to knock that Inspector, Kogami Shinya she believed his name was, for a loop. Following delivering a blow to the coal-haired man's head, she had made a wild dash towards the only exit. Her foot had not made it three inches passed the threshold before a particularly violent-looking Enforcer had discharged his Dominator at her.

By the grace of some unnamed deity, Ito had managed to avoid the attack by swerving to her right and used the momentum of the moment to barrel fist-first into the Enforcer. The two then had grappled on the tile floor yelling obscenities at one another, each slur becoming more creative and vulgar by the punch. To a bystander, it might have almost seemed that the pair were enjoying themselves.

"Get the hell off of me, you deranged wench!"

"Is your ass jealous of the amount of shit that just came out of your mouth?!"

"If you're gonna try to be a smartass, kid, you gotta at least be smart to begin with. 'Cause you know what that just leaves you with?!"

"Honestly, I really would like to see things from your point of view, but I can't fit my head that far up my own butt!"

"I'm an Enforcer, you better show me some damn respect!"

"Oh, I'll show you some respect, all right! I'll show you just where you can shove i—"

Amidst their insults and flying fists, Ito had failed to take note of the middle-aged Inspector that had managed to get a good enough aim to discharge his Dominator at her.

When she had regained consciousness, the girl found herself being jostled around in the back of a zooming paddy wagon.

So, here she sat, despondent but not defeated.

Having every nerve ending fried by an unending flow of electricity would most definitely go down as the most painful incident Ito had experienced to date. Although, the Oso Academy student supposed, she should have been grateful that her sudden display of aggression had not activated the Lethal Eliminator function of the Dominator.

She wondered, mildly curious, as to how she had not managed to shoot up the last seventeen points to reach a spectacularly dangerous Crime Coefficient of 300. The only conclusion she came to was that Sibyl had not wanted to waste time by having to denote one of its lackeys to wiping her guts off of the pristine white floor. What a shame, honestly.

The least Ito thought she could do was aggravate Sibyl by permanently staining the floor of the MWPSB hall with her colorful entrails.

But, alas, she was merely electrocuted.

Without warning, the paddy wagon jerked to a halt. The bay door fell open and next thing the girl knew she was dressed in dull gray prison garb and being half tossed/ half placed into a cell. Once the glass door slid closed and she heard the disheartening thump of the containment lock fall into place, her piercing eyes peered out at her new surroundings.

White.

Blank.

Gloomy.

Monotonous.

Everywhere the daisy child looked she found an abysmal future.

"What a festive place," the girl muttered sarcastically under her breath.

However, one difference, so slight that in the normal world, the student would have never noticed, the cell across from her own was bereft of the florescent lights that lit the rest of the hall, plunged into almost comforting darkness.

Something about that darkness attracted her.

She cringed.

Five minutes in and she was already beginning to go insane.

* * *

 _24_ _th_ _December, 2104; Tokyo, Hachiouji Rehabilitation Facility_

* * *

"Is visiting inmates a sick fetish of yours, or should I assume you have some sort of business with me?"

Kogami felt the faint flicker of a smile twitch at the corner of his lips at the biting question.

"Business, of course," the young Inspector responded as he gazed at Ito Hinagiku through the glass wall of her cell.

The burgundy-haired girl pursed her lips, arms crossed and foot tapping, "I see. Well, out with it, Inspector-kun."

Kogami's eyebrows raised at the nickname, but otherwise his expression did not change choosing not to address the quip, "I thought that I would inform you that both I and the Enforcer you bludgeoned are due to make a full recovery. Just to take the guilt off of your conscience."

Ito glared at the older man with a deadpan expression, "Right. What a relief. Glad to have that sin off of my chest. Too bad you don't have any intention of absolving me from the one crime I didn't actually commit."

"You attacked two men of the law, and you still stick to the argument that you are anything but a Latent Criminal?" Kogami sighed, one hand going to rest on his hip just above his Dominator and the other rubbing at the back of his neck.

"Well, flowers tend not to fare well in cellblocks," The girl muttered turning away to eye a smudge where she had punched the glass earlier, "They tend to do their best to remain in the sunlight."

Kogami's silver orbs trailed to rest on the same bloody smear, "So it would seem. Good thing you're a thorn bush, then."

"A thorn bush? So it would seem," she repeated lowly.

His eyes then flickered up to take in her partially sullen, partially disgruntled expression.

 _So young._ The words find themselves weighing heavily on his mind once again. Like a ball and chain around his conscience.

When Kogami had said that he was here on business, it had only been a half-truth. Yes, he was, in fact, currently in the Hachiouji Rehabilitation Facility due to his responsibilities with the MWPSB. However, that responsibility had nothing to do with the case of Ito Hinagiku.

To put it simply, the Inspector was curious about the fate of the girl who had not only outwitted him, but had also overpowered him a week ago. That, and he could not get the image of those burning honey-colored eyes out of his mind no matter how many times he kicked a hole in his punching bag. He was not certain what had exactly changed in him since their exchange in the interrogation room, but a few years down the line he would probably label this odd feeling in his chest as doubt.

Yeah, it was definitely doubt.

"Hey!"

Kogami fought the urge to startle at her sudden exclamation.

Ito leaned closer to the glass, eyes scanning what little visage she had of the hallway before they came to land on the man in front of her.

Almost conspiratorial, she whispered, "So, uh, do you come here often?"

"Do I..?" Baffled, he was uncertain how to answer. "What exactly do you mean by that?"

The teen grunted in displeasure, "What do you mean, 'what do I mean'? I meant what I said. Do you come here often? You got the skivvy on this dump or what? I have questions and not a whole lot of answers."

The coal-haired man analyzed her for a moment, unsure whether he should answer or not. Conversing with an inmate outside of official MWPSB business was taboo in and of itself. Much less tossing away sensitive information. Even if that inmate was a fourteen-year-old girl, who despite her valiant attempt at bravado, could not completely disguise the tale tell signs that she was frightened. He noticed the already dark circles underneath her eyes had become bags and her previously immaculate manicure was now bitten to stubs.

How much harm could soothing the fears of a young girl about her new environment really do?

Then the back of his skull throbbed, and he remembered this was the same child who gave him eleven stiches in the scalp and broke two fingers. Not to mention the black eye she had dealt to Sasayama.

 _Better not_ , he ultimately decided.

"That's classified," was his stiff answer.

Ito straightened to level him with an even glower, "Back to being stuffy, I see. Sibyl in your ear again?"

Kogami took a glance at his watch, noting that his impromptu visit had put him forty-five minutes behind schedule, "It would serve you well not to forget your position, Ito-san. Not every Inspector will be as lenient."

"You call poking fun at me from behind a glass wall lenient?"

Had they been in a different situation, Kogami might have even chuckled at the scoff and the pouting face that accompanied it.

But, they were not in a different situation, so all the man did was begin to turn away from the glass with a blank face.

"Hey!"

The Inspector's body betrayed him when he instinctively doubled back at the distressed call.

One of the girl's hands was pressed against the glass, her burgundy hair spilling over her shoulder as if she had made the move suddenly. The other arm was lifted awkwardly. As if she would be reaching out towards him if the pane were not in her way.

"Hey," she called again slightly more softly now that he was facing her once more, "The least you can do for locking me up in here is answer one question, right? I'm just a kid, you know."

 _She is manipulating you_ , he reminded himself.

Ito Hinagiku, was, after all, a Latent Criminal.

However, Ito took Kogami's moment of introspection as confirmation, and she carried on with posing her sole inquiry.

"The cell across from me…" the girl paused to indicate with her index finger that she was referring to the dark cell parallel to her own, "Who's in it?"

The officer balked for a moment at her odd request. He twisted his torso so that he could analyze the cell Ito was pointing out.

The cell was six by eight feet with one glass wall and three blank white ones just like rest of the matching cells along the hallway. Nothing he guessed would draw her attention there. The lights were all off at one in the afternoon and pillows barricaded much of the bottom of the glass window. He would had thought it was empty had he not noticed the containment lock was firmly in place and the air filtration system was active. Now, he saw, why her curiosity had been peaked.

Honestly, he knew nothing of the person who resided in the cell. The name on the placard outside of the room did not ring any bells, so Kogami assumed that the case had not been his to handle. Considering he had only been at this job for just over a month, he was doing well to just memorize the floorplan of the facility, much less catalogue every inmate. Besides, examining the way the placard had begun to yellow, he assumed that this particular inmate had been in the cell for quite some time.

Reading from the placard, he spoke, "It says _'Kagari Shusei'_."

"Yes, I can read, thank you. You arrested me just before a literature exam that I was about to ace, if you have forgotten." The adolescent rolled her eyes. "I meant _who_ is he? Is he old? Young? Insane? I would like to know if some dirty pervert is in proximity of me. As you've seen with 'Hinagiku' and apparently 'Shinya', a name tells you squat about a person."

Had the Public Safety Bureau's Career Instruction Center not beaten his adolescent tendencies out of him, Kogami would have rolled his eyes back at her.

Finally, he shrugged, beginning to saunter down the hall, "Not my case. Not my problem."

Except for the occasional dull thump of banging against glass, his walk down the hallway was relatively silent, which surprised the man considering he was walking away from a girl who loved nothing more than to have the last word.

Then came her familiar shout as he reached a bend in the hall,

"And the next time you visit bring something edible with you! The crap they serve here will drug you into insanity as if half the people here aren't already there!"

A pause.

"Also, I'd say I'll be here if you are ever looking for me…but with any luck, hopefully I won't."

Though the bigger part of Kogami regretted stopping by her cell at all, deep within a flutter of excitement, small but most certainly present, was birthed at the thought of their next encounter.

* * *

 _25_ _th_ _December, 2104; Tokyo, Hachiouji Rehabilitation Facility_

* * *

Two thousand eight hundred fifty…

…two thousand eight hundred fifty-one…

…two thousand eight hundred fifty-two.

Never in her short life had Ito Hinagiku ever entertained the idea that counting the number of times the containment lock flashed a brilliant red just outside her room would be the most interesting activity she could find to pass the time.

In the novels she had read, the characters always complained it was the sudden confinement or the wear away of their actions at their conscience that nearly broke their resolve while jailed. The girl quickly realized that those authors had likely never been imprisoned themselves. As someone who was currently an inmate herself, she would most certainly argue it was the boredom that ate away at her sanity more than any other factor.

And, that was saying something considering her civilian life had been dominated by her time at Oso, an all girl's academy, that's most exciting points were the morning announcements and the occasional "who's who" gossip.

A loud growl echoed off of the blank walls of the cell. A hand shot to her concaved stomach as it clenched with pangs of hunger. A full bowel of porridge sat next to her feet, untouched.

It had been nearly a week since Ito had eaten anything of substance. She had watched the inmate two cells down from her own who had been incarcerated only a day after her arrival slowly fall into a stupor as the days passed by. Initially, the burgundy-haired girl had assumed that the food was poisoned, but after watching the change in disposition of the middle-aged woman who had been brought in kicking and screaming, she could at least determine that the food was drugged with some sort of hardcore sedative.

Ito knew that she could not hold out on food forever. She allowed herself to drink the water that was brought to her, but only in small increments. She took a swig from the cup each time the containment lock came to its three thousandth blink. Even with this moderation, she could already feel her mind dulling and her senses numbing. Although, she mused, that might have been from the beginnings of starvation setting in as well.

"Oh, rabbit on the moon," Ito's voice carried a slight tune, the only sound in the emptiness of her cell.

"What are you leaping for?

I shall leap, I shall leap soon

At the large full moon…"

The stanza belonged to a children's song she had once read in a history book from the restricted section in Oso Academy's library. She had never seen a rabbit other than in a picture book, but she could still imagine their furry bodies leaping gleefully between the Earth and the moon, not shackled unlike her. With some maneuvering, she too might one day find herself uninhibited so that she could escape to the moon.

The teenager scoffed loudly, "I'm waxing poetic. Boredom has truly made me pitiable."

It was just a stupid folktale. She knew that, clearly. Nevertheless, Ito was desperate for anything to pass the time. She had even mentally recounted the one hundred forty-two rules in the Oso Academy Handbook twice before delving into children's songs from a time not her own.

The sound of a cell door opening, a noise that she had yet to hear, pulled Ito from her thoughts.

"This one still not eating?"

The girl sat up from her prone position, eagerly peeking out at the hallway. Hearing the statement, she had assumed that it was referring to her. However, when she saw the orderly's backs were to her cell and one holding a full bowel of porridge that did not belong to her, she knew someone else had figured out they were receiving drugged food.

And, it just so happened that all of this commotion was taking place in the doorway of the dark cell across the hall.

"Ever since the boy across the way had to be disposed of after his escape attempt a few months back, this one here has slipped." The older looking of the two orderlies supplied to his coworker, pointing to something in the room Ito could not see from her position.

The bowel of porridge was placed aside as both orderlies entered the room. Ito craned her neck to see around the impossible barricade of pillows around her "neighbor's" glass wall, but was only successful in hearing the orderlies grunt and argue about how to handle the situation. Apparently, the inmate was unconscious and possibly dead.

The pair must have come to some sort of agreement, because next thing she knew they were exiting the room together backwards seeming to be pulling at something. Something akin to excitement twisted in the girl's gut as she realized they must have the enigmatic owner to the name on the door in hand. It was a sort of sick fascination to have her week-long mystery solved.

The first time Ito Hinagiku ever saw Kagari Shusei, he was unconscious and emaciated being dragged out of his cell by his wrists, and from that moment on, she would be completely captivated by him.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Once again thanks to all who continued reading! I appreciate all favorites, follows, and reviews. Please continue to show your support, so I can maintain the passion to get the next chapter out to you guys sooner. :) Oh, ho, ho...finally our favorite ginger Enforcer has made a spectacular appearance! How will Ito handle her new found obsession amidst the walls of a prison?**

 **A special thanks to** **: Akakocat, Harukawa Ayame, Inky-Bently17, Missing Dream, Sonata Fuling, TeiaShore, jack o'lantern121, and patamon642 for favoriting! Akakocat, Harukawa Ayame, Inky-Bently17, Missing Dream, Schlooper, Sonata Fuling, emi-theweirdo, inari of the skies, and patamon642 for following. Most of all a giant thanks to the Guest (deadpool), inari of the skies, and Akakocat for reviewing! You all are the reason this chapter exists.**

 **Thanks again!**

 **~ Quill**


	3. Unique Perspective

**Greetings all and welcome! All rights to Psycho Pass go to its respective owners. This plot, Ito Hinagiku, and any other unrecognizable characters are property of thePrecociousQuill. Enjoy, friends!**

* * *

A Daisy Among Thorns

Chapter Three: Unique Perspective

* * *

 _31st December, 2104; Tokyo, Hachiouji Rehabilitation Facility_

* * *

"So, how's Mom?"

Ito Hinagiku attempted to lock eyes with the man standing just outside of her cell.

The man had his own eyes resolutely trained on his worn leather loafers, shoulders slumped. He was middle-aged, thin and willowy with dark hair graying at the temples. Rectangle-frame glasses slipped further down his nose as he heaved a sigh before straightening his posture.

This man who was permeated with the stench of defeat was none other than the same idealist who had spent months combing through botany books to name his first daughter.

Ito Hirobumi.

"Minami is…" Hirobumi paused seeming to be at a loss, "Your mother is as well as can be expected in this situation."

Ito nodded, "I see…"

Again, the parent-child duo stood in silence.

The typical questions one heard when a loved one discovered that someone precious to them had been detained went unsaid.

There was no…

"How could this have happened?"

or

"What did you do?"

or

"Why did you allow for your Hue to become so clouded without telling me?"

Both already knew those answers, and decided not to waste their breath on the matter. However, Ito wished she could get some rise out of the man she called her father. All there was between them was a quiet acceptance that this was to be the way life would be from now on, except…

"Hinagiku?"

Ito fought down the urge to shudder at the name. After the events of the last three weeks, she resented the name now more than ever. It served as an ironic reminder of all she had failed to live up to.

Finally she responded with, "What is it?"

Her tone came out more pointed than she had intended for it to.

Hirobumi shoved his hands deeply into the pockets of his khakis and shuffled awkwardly, "I believe I should be going now. You see, my Hue might be affected by this environment and, well, with work I just can't—"

"Of course," Ito snorted derisively. "We can't have your wayward daughter dirtying you pristine Hue."

"Ah, but I promise to be back in a few weeks," Clearly guilty, the man avoided her heated glare by turning his back on his child and glancing into the currently empty cell across the hall.

"Give Mom my condolences for turning out to be the family pariah," Though her words were biting, the girl's tone was carefully constructed to sound blasé.

Hirobumi bobbed in begrudged acceptance, unwilling to tamper with his child's infamous scorn, and began to take steps in the opposite direction.

Ito knew as she watched her father plod down the hallway that this would likely be the last she ever saw of him. The amount of times she had watched the containment lock flash during their conversation told Ito that her father had stood outside of her cell for no longer than five minutes. Honestly, she had been more interested in keeping track of the containment lock light than anything her father had to say, or rather, what he did not have to say.

The girl threw herself down onto the cot in the back of the room with a huff. A sneer decorated her face as she rolled onto her side. Her long, bony fingers furled and unfurled around the thin sheet that adorned the cot.

"Five minutes," Ito spat as he eyes fluttered shut into a restless slumber, "Too damn long if you ask me."

Not even the harshness of her words could hide the sadness in her voice.

* * *

 _9th January, 2105; Tokyo, Hachiouji Rehabilitation Facility_

* * *

He was back.

Ito watched with sharp eyes and baited breath as the boy across the hall was led rather forcefully back into his cell. He stumbled past the threshold, turning to face the outside world only once the glass door had shut and the containment lock was firmly in place. Dejectedly glaring at the tile floor, his wrists were placed through the entry slot for the orderly to remove his handcuffs.

Her body hummed with interest, the small distraction completely enthralling her in this life filled with monotony and drug sedation.

"Kagari Shusei…" the name rolled off her tongue and passed her lips in a murmur.

Suddenly the eyes of the boy in question moved to meet her's as if he were somehow able to hear her whisper.

Ito's immediate reaction was to startle, but schooled herself into a blank expression before her surprise could get the best of her. She raised one hand to wave a "Hello", but by the time her wrist made the motion, the handcuffs were released and the boy was looking away. With a near insatiable curiosity she observed Kagari smash his fist on the light switch and once he was bathed in darkness slide down the glass wall into a sitting position as the orderly walked away from his cell.

Once Ito was sure the hallway was clear, she began her attempt at communication.

"Hey!" She used the palm of her hand to smack against the glass, each swat a little more forceful than the previous, "Hey, kid!"

Whether he heard her or not, the ginger-haired boy did not budge.

This carried on for a few more minutes until the former Oso Academy student grunted in frustration. Sitting seiza style with her arms crossed firmly under her chest, she glowered at the back of the young man's head. Her honey-colored eyes were aflame with irritation.

It was clear that her neighbor was either deaf or intentionally ignoring her attempts to garner his attention. And, if there was one thing that truly boiled Ito's bones, it was being snubbed. Quite hypocritical considering it was something she so often did to others.

"Stop ignoring me, you little ginger gnat!" Ito snarled as she dipped her finger into her uneaten porridge and used it to write a particularly nasty message on the window wall of her cell hoping her neighbor would read it sooner rather than later.

She sat back and admired her handiwork with a critical eye before deciding to add another less than savory kanji to the mess on her wall.

"Hope that isn't for me," A deep voice drawled from the outside the cell, "I'd hate to have to write you up for harassing an Inspector."

Had Hinagiku been the owner of a lesser constitution, she would have spooked at the words that suddenly invaded her spiteful internal monologue. Looking through the misplaced food that had already harden into slightly messy slurs, honey-colored eyes took sight of meticulously shined black Oxfords. Traveling up a rumpled suit, her orbs came to rest upon a pale smirk beneath a pair of mocking silver eyes.

"Doesn't the fact that you're at the doorstep to my temporary residence make you the so called harasser in this situation, Inspector-kun?" Ito snorted from her position on the Rehabilitation Facility floor.

Unfazed by neither the remark nor nickname, Kogami Shinya inquired with a blank face, "Care to explain your artwork there?"

"I'm trying to garner the attention of my neighbor. He seems to be a bit hard of hearing, you see," The young girl replied nonchalantly as she watched the Inspector kneel to her level.

Kogami glanced back at the cell behind him, assuming that she must have been referring to the inmate she had questioned him about in their last encounter, "A unique way of making friends."

Ito wrinkled her nose distastefully, "Yes, well, sociability has never been my strong suit. Too honest for pleasantries, I suppose."

"Honesty?" The Inspector quirked one coal brow, "Is that what the kids call it these days?"

Ito's expression settled into one of exasperation, and let that speak for her rather than words.

"Ever considered that the guy might just think you're crazy?" Kogami offered up as an explanation for her fellow inmate's cold shoulder.

Ito shrugged, "Not exactly a wild assumption considering where we currently are."

"The fact that your hand is submerged in a bowl of porridge doesn't do much to help your case either…" The young man trailed off, a hint of amusement hidden under layers of professional stoicism.

Taken aback, she realized that her left hand was still, in fact, resting her in supposed meal. She gazed thoughtfully at it for a moment, wondering if the sedatives in the food could somehow seep through her skin.

Risk becoming comatose or risk bruising her pride? Then she caught eyes with that blasted Inspector. Something akin to humor was hidden within them.

Pride it is, then.

"I'm well aware," the girl tutted, "A few friends of mine from Oso once told me of the beauty properties of porridge. Said that, 'Porridge is God's gift for the skin.' Got to keep my youthful appearance up, after all. Must maintain my position as the most sane-looking lass of the asylum and all that."

Kogami mercifully decided to grant the gutsy little inmate a pass, "Hn, I'm sure."

"Care to try some, Inspector-kun?" Ito flashed a feisty smile before lobbing the goop at the spot on the glass his head was level with.

Together they watched the porridge slide down to the tile flooring.

Flippantly she responded as the joke fell flat, "Thought you could use some of this homemade moisturizer for that hand I crushed. I see your fingers are finally unwrapped."

Kogami lifted the hand that Ito had used the heel of her shoe to smash nearly a month ago now. The man gently clenched his fist, the two fingers that had been broken refused to close as tightly as the others. He grimaced at the lack of remorse in his attacker's voice. It only served a reminder as to why Ito and he sat on opposite sides of that cell door.

"Thanks, but no thanks," he finally responded and swiftly stood.

Instinctively, Ito rose to match his stance. Absentmindedly, she raked the fingers covered in porridge through her hair. A slight grimace crossed her features as she realized her mistake.

"Your classmates tell you that porridge is good for the hair, too?" The Inspector commented as the light-colored clumps stood stark against her deep burgundy tresses.

The girl crossed her arms with her nose turned up and way as she scoffed, "Clearly."

The only tell that she was bluffing came from the embarrassed blush that lightly dusted her cheeks. Had she not been as sickly pale as she was, Kogami would probably not have noticed the sudden flush. More so than give away her lie, it highlighted just how unhealthy she was beginning to look. What would have been a slight rosiness of her cheeks typically, now looked almost feverish against abnormally pallor flesh.

"So," Ito began with narrowed eyes, "Have you come to tease the zoo animals again or did you need something from me?"

The dark-haired man was silent for a long moment with an unreadable face.

"I've come for a bit of perspective." He spoke carefully while keeping eye contact with the impatient girl.

Ito maintained her defensive posture, "That statement is a bit vague, don't you think?"

Kogami fiddled with a few settings on his wristwatch before a holographic image sprouted from its interface. Interest peaked, the girl dropped her standoffish façade, and eagerly approached the glass wall. As she leant in the hologram reflected in the pupils of her wide honey-colored eyes.

The hologram was the image of a teenage girl in what appeared to be a yearbook photograph if her school uniform and artificial smile were anything to go by.

"That's a nifty doodad you've got there," tongue still sharp amidst her childlike curiosity, "Well, what am I looking at here? Your girlfriend? She's a bit young for you, don't you think?"

In classic Kogami fashion, the Inspector continued on without so much as a twitch of irritation, "Her name is Kouda Sayuri. She is a student at Midou High School and is a suspect in the case my Division is currently working on."

"So what?" Ito gave a one shoulder shrug, "You fell in love with her or something? I didn't realize you were a closet pervert. I'm almost proud of you. Looks sickeningly lawful enough to be your type. If you came here to ask how to woo a younger lady, I can tell you right now that I'm no beacon of romance."

"We believe that Kouda murdered and cannibalized her younger sister, Kouda Kiku, around four months ago, and has assumed the identity of Kiku ever since. She is twenty-five years old." His voice was deadpan.

The burgundy-haired girl dropped her teasing banter and wrinkled her nose in distaste, "Shouldn't the Sibyl System have been able to distinguish that this Kouda girl was masquerading as her sister through her Psycho Pass?"

Kogami's resultant silence spoke volumes.

"Oh-ho!" Ito's face lit up with satisfaction as she danced on the balls of her feet, "Is that doubt in the Sibyl System I hear? This girl outwitted Sibyl. What a hero!"

The raven-haired man fought down a balk, "Kouda is not only a criminal, but a murderer."

"Yes, well," Ito attempted to stem her misplaced cheer, "A small snag in her service to the people of Japan."

At a loss, Kogami began to turn away. Clearly, Ito Hinagiku was too far gone to be of any help. He wondered why he had even considered wasting his time attempting to squeeze out any semblance of sanity from the young girl he had played a part in incarcerating.

Alarmed, Ito threw herself against the door with an exaggerated huff, "Hey, I'm joking with you! Calm your pants, Inspector-kun. Besides, I think I'm fairly sure I know why you have come here."

Kogami turned back to the girl with wary eyes, expecting the worst, "Is that so?"

Ito chewed on her thumbnail for a bit as if weighing what she was about to say. It seemed so out of character for her to sensor her words that it garnered the man's full attention. It almost seemed to pain the girl to hold her tongue.

She began slowly, "That fancy little watch of yours told me that Kouda and I have a similar Crime Coefficient and Hue. On top of that, she's running around pretending to be a girl my age. My only assumption is that you're trying out that whole 'to find a criminal, you must think like a criminal' thing, huh? How very Sherlock of you."

A ghost of a smile lined Kogami's lips. Now he remembered why he had escaped the ever vigilant eye of his senior Inspector just to drive through the rain to the Hachiouji Rehabilitation Facility at the edge of the city. Sure, Ito Hinagiku was an exasperating young woman, but she was also one hell of an observant little thing.

"Don't you have Enforcers at the snap of your fingers for this sort of thing?" Ito inquired more rhetorically than anything.

The young man nodded, his charcoal bangs falling into his eyes. It was a fair enough question. Why exactly had he gone out of his way to seek, of all things, a criminal's council?

He gave her no answer, because he had none. It was just a gut feeling. Despite all logic and common sense, his instincts were telling him to have faith in this irascible, pig-headed, manic, law-breaking rebel rouser.

He must be insane. As soon as he left the facility, the man was going to check his Hue. It concerned him how easily the feisty Hinagiku had taken possession of his trust.

"Are you sure you want to know? Once you tap the mind of a criminal, you might just find yourself becoming one." She warned mockingly, but the smolder in her eyes said she rather enjoyed the notion of his potential descent into delinquency.

"I'm sure I'll manage." He remarked rather dryly.

Ito stood back and analyzed the Inspector with an air of suspicion. When she realized that he truly had sought out her opinion, she decided to throw the poor man a bone. Not like she had anything better to do in this place anyway.

Although, she noticed that she had failed to keep track of the containment lock light since their conversation began. She had finally found something more interesting. What a surprising turn of events.

A startling grin that was much more fearsome than friendly broke out onto Ito's face, "In that case, shall we discuss compensation for my unique perspective?"

Kogami fought down the chuckle that rumbled in his chest.

Checkmate.

Through all their banter, the duo missed a pair of brown eyes curiously observing them through the darkness from across the hall.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Once again thanks to all who continued reading! I apologize for how long it took to get this chapter out, but know I WILL finish this story regardless. I appreciate all favorites, follows, and reviews. Please continue to show your support, so I can maintain the passion to get the next chapter out to you guys sooner. :) More Kogami banter in this chapter. Those two just can't seem to help, but get into it every time they meet. I wonder who our brown-eyed voyeur was at the end? Hmm... (P.S. - Our beloved Kagari will finally speak next chapter! Poor boy...I feel like such a brute to him.)**

 **A special thanks to** **: Alice-okami, Avengerslover101, Ketsueko, Koniax Hyasen, Racheeele, Sassi15, charlesj25, and outerspacekat for favoriting! Avaline Lasaira, Averngerslover101, Ketsueko, Koniax Hyasen, Nightraze, Racheeele, Sassi15, charlesj25, .50, moderin, .927, outerspacekat, and xYandere Senpai for following! Most of all a giant thanks to Nightraze, Avaline Lasaira, charlesj25, and Koniax Hyasen for reviewing! You all are the reason this chapter exists.**

 **Thanks again!**

 **~ Quill**


	4. Desperate Flora

**Greetings all and welcome! All rights to Psycho Pass go to its respective owners. This plot, Ito Hinagiku, and any other unrecognizable characters are property of thePrecociousQuill. Enjoy, friends!**

* * *

A Daisy Among Thorns

Chapter Four: Desperate Flora

* * *

 _29th January, 2105; Tokyo, Hachiouji Rehabilitation Facility_

* * *

Forty-two floor tiles. Eleven florescent ceiling lights. Fifteen cellblocks. And one incredibly bored teenage girl.

While a student at Oso Academy, Ito Hinagiku would never have considered herself to be a gifted mathematician. Literature and the humanities were more of her strong suit. However, as the horrid claws of boredom scratched as the corners of her ever-growing restlessness, she found that she had become incredibly proficient at addition. After all, the most excitement the girl had in the last few months was counting everything in her range of visibility.

She had just begun to recount the ceiling lights aloud when an unfamiliar sound pulled her from the riveting activity.

A voice.

"Just so you know, I'm pretty sure whatever you have been counting for the fiftieth time has not multiplied in the last hour."

A snarky voice, at that.

Slowly, Ito arose from her prone position on her bed. She half expected that invasive Inspector, Kogami, to be peering through the glass at her, as he always seemed to show at the oddest of times to either patronize, or most recently, coerce help out of her. However, the voice was too boyish for it to ever be confused with the gravely tone of the two-pack-a-day Inspector.

The girl briefly considered resuming her mundane task until she locked eyes with the boy across the hall.

Surprised by his sudden cordiality, her mouth fell agape with a tiny 'pop', "My, oh, my, so the devil _can_ speak."

Eyes the color of milk chocolate narrowed in…was that confusion…or maybe contempt…?

Righting herself, Ito's bare feet slapped against the cool surface of the floor as she flounced to the edge of her cell and unceremoniously plopped herself onto the ground.

"Tell me, Kagari Shusei," the young inmate began with a far too captivated look in her eye, "to what do I owe the pleasure of your first words?"

Brow furrowed, Kagari appeared about to respond when a trill of laughter cut him off.

Ito hummed with the vibrations of an eerie giggle as she spoke, "Look, look, dear!" She swatted at the air beside her as if there were someone, namely a husband, there.

"Our little boy has said his first words!" The girl cooed with an irreverent curl of her lips.

A beat of uncomfortable silence passed between the two as they sat with crossed arms and locked eyes.

Breaking the quiet, Kagari murmured in a deadpan tone, "Well, are you done?"

Dropping the 'first-time-mother' act, Ito gave a slight shrug before the humor fell from her face and she tiredly titled her forehead against the glass wall.

Once Kagari was certain that the girl was done doing…whatever that little scene just was, he grunted, "I'm trying to give you a bit of advice from a veteran of the Sybil System's incarceration methods…"

Ito perked up with feigned interest, "Oh, is that so?"

The ginger-haired boy seemed to debate whether he had made a mistake or not by initiating this conversation.

His conclusion?

Yeah, he did, but he had already come this far, so he might as well push onwards.

"So, I've noticed the little hunger strike taking place over there," he pursed his lips, "If you have any sense, stop it."

Ito made no sign that she had processed what the boy had said, however, she did not scoff at it either.

The boy continued, "I'm sure you've noticed that the food is drugged. But, if you don't start shoveling that gruel into your mouth pretty soon, they'll drag you off and shove a tube down your throat. Either way, you'll end up eating that shit."

Honey-colored eyes were pensive following his words.

"So, what you're saying is," Kagari frowned at the misplaced enthusiasm in her voice, "if I pass out from hunger, I could wake up outside of this cell, right?"

Kagari squinted back at her reproachfully, "…excuse me, uh, what?

"Perhaps I should throw myself into a no carb diet? Is water a carb?" She responded cryptically with a minor shrug.

Kagari regarded the girl dully, "Was that meant to be a joke?"

Ito bit back a sly grin, but did not affirm or refute his inquiry.

 _This chick is bonkers_ , the boy surmised as he leaned back onto his elbows.

When he spoke again, his tone was recklessly carefree, "Yeah, well, I tried. When I wake up to find your cell has been forcibly emptied, my conscience will remain clean."

The mahogany-haired lass observed her neighbor in silence. She was attempting her best to swallow a sharp-tongued quip. Instead she nearly pinned Kagari to the floor with the intensity of her stare.

The young man looked back at her imploringly, "You obviously have something to say. The floor is yours, lady."

"Oh, who, me?" She batted long lashes with pseudo innocence, "Well, I was just musing about how I just might come back to visit you once I bounce this joi—."

The loud steps of an orderly resonated down the hall effectively silencing the pair for the time being. Ito immediately set about rocking back-and-forth in her seat and arranged her expression into that of one of mindless bliss. Kagari, on the other hand, merely rolled away from the door of his cell, facing towards the blank white expanse of his back wall.

After several painfully long seconds of playing this farce, the footsteps disappeared down the bend in the hallway, and the teenagers resumed their previous position against the glass.

"You'll be starved. Do you honestly believe you'll be able to overpower anyone once they take you away like that? Your blood will be splattered across the wall before you could even manage to pass the threshold," Kagari warned with an incredulous look in his eye, though his tone held a hint of dark humor.

One pale hand with splayed fingers pressed against the glass, "This is the only shot at freedom that I have. I'll be damned if I throw it away, because of something silly like logic."

He managed to catch a glimpse of Ito's indomitable grin from between her fingers. For the briefest of moments he was beguiled by the inimitable spirit that wafted off of her in waves. Her features were no longer characterized by their gauntness nor did the heavy bags under her eyes claim her youth.

 _This must have been what she looked like before she landed herself in here_ , the conclusion the boy came to was not all that startling.

A fresh and sprightly daisy.

Yes, though he had yet to utter it, Kagari did know her name. Her abrupt change in countenance sought to remind him of that fact. When she had arrived some odd months ago, his eyes had briefly flickered up to the name plaque outside of her cell.

"Ito Hinagiku, you are pretty insane," Kagari muttered before facing away from her and rolling onto his side ultimately ending their first conversation.

He was not quite sure, but he was almost certain that he heard a quiet _"I know."_ echo behind him.

* * *

 _2nd February, 2105; Tokyo, Hachiouji Rehabilitation Facility_

* * *

Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.

A prim-looking woman hurriedly made her way down the barren hallways of the Hachiouji Rehabilitation Facility. Square-heeled shoes tapped against the sterile white tile floor, her mahogany-colored hair that was cut into a fashionable bob bounced with each quick step. Though her stride was confident, her expression was not. Anxiety seemed to highlight her every feature.

Tightly clutched in her left fist was the hand of a young boy. Despite his short legs, he managed to keep up with her pace. His general demeanor was of disinterest, dark eyes lazily looking down one hallway to the next. His fingers were blue in his mother's grasp, but something about the atmosphere told him not to voice his displeasure.

Suddenly the woman, Machiko, paused, the boy bumping into her legs, and held her free hand to her chest, "Was it this way or…the number was 341, wasn't it?"

Although she was clearly muttering to herself, her child spoke up, "It's 431."

"Hm?" The woman turned towards him with wide eyes as if just realizing her child had been with her all along, "But, I'm sure it started with a three…"

The boy shook his head, messy bangs falling into his eyes, "No, mother. You're leading us in circles."

"Well, why didn't you speak up earlier, Yousuke?" the boy's mother puffed out her cheeks in a pout, years being lifted from her face with the gesture, something was a bit childlike about her countenance without the constant worry etched into her expression.

Yousuke gave a one shouldered shrug before pulling her in the right direction, "Honestly, I thought you would figure it out sooner or later."

"Is that anyway to speak to your mother? If I was your father, he would have your head…" She trailed off as the nerves resurfaced in her tone, "Speaking of your father, you know not to mention this to him, don't you?"

"Mother," this time the boy came to a sudden stop with his mother bumping into his frame, "I'm eleven, not an idiot."

His mother only seemed more wound up at his reply, "Just promise me, would you?"

"I promise." Yousuke mumbled after a beat of silence, then gave a nod of his head, "We're here, by the way."

The woman startled at the revelation. Large eyes scanning the blank room behind the glass before her. Her eyes slowly made it around every inch of the cell, making sure to drink it all in detail.

"It's…" Her voice seemed to fail her.

"It's empty." The sharp-eyed boy supplied for her.

True to their word, the cell stood empty before them. Its single resident nowhere to be found. Nothing indicated where the inmate might have disappeared to or whether they would be back anytime soon.

"It's empty…" a haggard Machiko whispered again, mania crawling up her features, "It's empty! Do you think she escaped? S-Should we alert the staff? I mean she is a latent criminal after all! What if she's been watching us? What if—"

Hysteria clearly beginning to grip the woman, her child looked on with mild discern. Something about his insignificant reaction spoke to how familiar this scene must have been for him. He took a step forward with the intention of calming his distressed mother, when a jingle caught both of their attentions.

The pair turned towards the noise, their identical dark eyes alight with curiosity. At the end of the hallway a group of women stood. If their drab pajama-like clothing was anything to go by, they were inmates. Orderlies flanked their sides, metal cuffs holding their hands together defenselessly.

The group moved sluggishly pass them. The inmates' faces slack, their eyes dimmed of emotion. Their hair was slick as if just freshly showered. A figure shorter than the rest shuffled at the back of the group.

The grouping stopped just as the small figure fully came into view. More than her slight frame, it was the disgruntled expression that set Ito Hinagiku apart from the other women. Feline-like eyes caught theirs, a rebelliousness alight in their depths. Then recognition immediately clouded her eyes as the mother and child cautiously approached her.

"Mother?" Ito's stare shifted down slightly, "Yousuke?"

The girl seemed genuinely surprised to see the duo in front of her. Before either had the opportunity to address her, Ito's handcuffs were released and she was ushered hastily behind the glass wall of her cell. The adolescent's watchful gaze did not miss how her mother had flinched when her wrists were unbound nor the audible sigh of relief the woman had breathed when the containment lock loudly clinked into place. Her brother remained as stoic as always.

Mood suddenly soured at the sight of her own mother's trembling hands, Ito murmured a rather gruff, "If you're here to be part of the welcoming party, I'd hate to tell you, you're two or so months late. At this point, a card would have sufficed."

An obnoxious snort sounded from across the hall.

All three eyed the cell from across the hall with varying degrees of disbelief. When all the two on the right side of the glass saw was the back of a slack-faced boy, they shrugged off the amused sound as their imagination. While their backs were turned they missed the bemused eye roll Ito sent the other inmate's way.

"Wow, this is even more uncomfortable than I imagined," The youngest Ito child finally spoke up with a deadpan voice, "I thought things at home were awkward as it is."

"Well, if anyone would know about awkward, it would be you," Ito addressed her younger sibling sharply, although there was a certain fondness to the way she looked at him.

A small, barely perceivable smile appeared on Yousuke's face as he took the taunt in stride. The slight emotion in his expression spoke volumes more than he would ever allow his words to. He honestly had missed the irreverently blasé manner of his sister.

He took a step towards the glass only to have his mother grasp his shoulder and suddenly jerk him back to her side. The boy looked up at her, accusation clear in his stance. However, she was focused solely on the older of her two children as she worried her bottom lip.

"Hina-chan is hardly going to corrupt me, if that's what you think," Yousuke scoffed turning back to the glass.

Something about the utterance of her cutesy childhood nickname seemed to offer a bit of humanity to the Latent Criminal.

Machiko held firm despite the comment.

Ito leaned towards the glass, placing one hand against the clear wall, "No, no. Mother's right. It's best to stay away from monsters like me."

Though her grin, as always, was playful, something in her tone did not quite match.

"In fact," she continued on, placing her other hand against the glass next to the first, "Just think about what being in a place like this must be doing to your Hue? Why, there is plenty of room in my cell should either of you need to move in."

The matriarch of the Ito family startled. A sharp intake of breath and shifting eyes gave away her paranoia. She took a step back, nearly losing her balance as the back of her high-heeled shoe wobbled.

"Hinagiku!" The woman admonished in a shaky breath.

Yousuke, however, was far too focused on his sister's strange stance to pay any true heed to her words.

Something was off about the way she had both of her hands so firmly placed against the pane of her cell wall. That was when he looked at her, truly looked at her. In that moment he realized she was about to fall over.

Though her high cheek bones had always made her appear thin, her face was now gaunt with cheeks hollowed out. Dark circles ringed her eyes, deep and bruise-like. He did not like how her rehabilitation garb hung so loosely from her frame. There was a barely perceptible shakiness to her posture, the weight on her hands mostly likely all that was keeping her upright at this point.

A daisy too long deprived of freedom. A flower plucked before its prime. A flora desperate to taste the spring air and bathe in the warmth of the sun.

In essence, Ito Hinagiku was wilting.

Even worse, all Yousuke could do was watch as it happened.

So he shifted, realizing his sister's crude words were nothing more than a defense mechanism to make them leave before she lost her nerve, and dragged their mother back down the hall towards the entrance. At first Ito Machiko seemed reluctant to turn her back on her daughter, but quickly acquiesced once Ito let her glare drift towards her own feet.

Both child and mother tried their best to ignore the crash they heard after rounding the corner.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Once again thanks to all who continued reading! AGAIN, I apologize for how long it took to get this chapter out, but know I WILL finish this story regardless. (I started playing Mystic Messenger and it RUIN MY LIFE in the best way possible. Oops. Also, I got into a Hamilton kick that greatly distracted me from writing this...) I appreciate all favorites, follows, and reviews. Please continue to show your support, so I can maintain the passion to get the next chapter out to you guys sooner. :)**

 **Ah, the ginger-child spoke in this chapter! Sadly, no Kogami banter...did you guys miss him? Let me know, and I might consider adding making him a more integral part in Hinagiku's narrative than I had originally planned. ;) Also, would you guys like me to respond to your reviews or is that too odd?**

 **A special thanks to** **:** **Rae Rae0343** **,** **tatortot0607** **,** **thewordmajestic** **,** **Wittlericeball** **, and** **Yopu is Crying** **for favoriting!** **Dame Tartine** **,** **KrAzY-LiTtLe-ImP** **,** **Persona Jay** **,** **poltro99** **,** **Rae Rae0304** **,** **tabetaisu** **,** **Wittlericeball** **,** **XxRikela-chanxX** **, and** **Yopu is Crying** **for following! Most of all a giant thanks to** **Akamecj26** **,** **CutieChante** **,** **Koniax Hyasen** **and the guest for reviewing!** **You all are the reason this chapter exists.**

 **Thanks again!**

 **~ Quill**


	5. Grand Exodus Interrupted

**Greetings all and welcome! All rights to Psycho Pass go to its respective owners. This plot, Ito Hinagiku, and any other unrecognizable characters are property of thePrecociousQuill. Enjoy, friends!**

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A Daisy Among Thorns

Chapter Five: Grand Exodus Interrupted

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 _8th February, 2105; Tokyo, Hachiouji Rehabilitation Facility_

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When Ito had cautioned Kogami to never to get too complacent with finding her waiting dutifully in her cell, he had never truly considered the fact that he just might find it completely devoid of her presence one late afternoon.

And, yet, here he stood.

With one hand carelessly shoved into his pants' pocket and the other palming a thick book, he shifted awkwardly in front of the empty cell. He, logically, had concluded that Ito had probably been taken off to shower or for some other hygiene activity rather than escaped. Although, a tiny whisper amongst the logic told him that the girl just might have managed to pull off a grand exodus.

Finding no further reason to prolong his stay at the facility, Kogami spun on his heel. His gait was even, each step slow and deliberate. His fingers casually drummed against the book in his left hand. The book contained a compilation of short stories by the early twentieth century author, Akutagawa Ryunosuke.

It was the item of compensation that Ito had requested for her help regarding the Kouda case several weeks ago. Considering that he had to nearly shakedown his old psychology professor, Saiga Joji, to procure a copy of the novel, the man had almost brought her a bag of candies instead. The girl could have used the sustenance. However, the fear of a resultant sugar high that might lead to a rise in Ito's usual level of debauchery pushed him to brew a pot of straight black coffee to endear Saiga to him before he asked to take one of his prized possessions.

The young Inspector was nearly out of the building when he heard the muffled screams from down the adjacent corridor. Typically, the man would have thought nothing of it. He was, in fact, currently walking through a detention facility after all. Screams were a typical part of the ambiance.

What had truly alerted him, however, was the siren that went off overhead announcing one of the inmates was making a break for it. Immediately he regretted having to check his Dominator in at the door. Never one to let being weaponless stop his crusade for justice, Kogami rushed down the hall towards the disturbance.

His dress shoes skidded across the tile floor as he grabbed the doorframe of the room the uproar seemed to be occurring in. Subconsciously, he grabbed at the air where his Dominator should have been despite already knowing he did not have it at his side. Instead he was armed with a ninety-page novel.

Thinking back on it later, Kogami supposed he should not have been as surprised to be greeted by the sight of a very familiar pair of honey-colored eyes as he was.

"Ito-san, at it again, are we?" He let the statement announce his presence.

The sound of the gravelly voice drew the girl's attention away from landing a boney-knuckled punch on an already bloodied orderly's nose. He noticed, when she turned, that some sort of clear apparatus was shoved haphazardly into her mouth. It held her jaw open, making her look like a freshly fished carp.

His silver eyes trailed across the room taking in another unconscious orderly and a half-empty feeding bag. The front of Ito's shirt was covered in a sticky tan mess, the same color as the unconsumed food, that caused her prison garb to stick to her thin frame and matted her unruly hair against her collarbone.

Though she appeared just as fearsome as always, her gaze was slightly clouded. Skeletal-looking fingers reached up to attempt pulling the apparatus from her mouth like a fish grappling with its hook. The girl struggled with it for a moment before she slowly yanked a long tube from down her throat with a disgustingly wet _'POP'_.

Ito carelessly tossed the medical equipment to the ground. She bent at the waist and dry heaved several times before she coated the floor with a sickening concoction of vomit and blood. Wiping roughly at her split lip, shaky legs took confident steps in Kogami's direction.

She weakly attempted to push him out of the doorway. When he did not budge, she struggled to lock eyes with him. Unlike their usual clarity, he was unable to read the sudden flicker of quick running emotions that passed through their depths.

Unable to support her meager wait any longer, the inmate collapsed against him, leaving a trail of sick down his suit as she slid to the floor. She floundered around for a bit before falling still. Though her body lay motionless, even in this situation, she could not manage to keep her mouth shut.

"I had to try," The girl muttered hoarsely from the place she had collapsed on the ground.

Her feverish cheek rested against the cool tile. Every clearly emaciated limb hung limp. Mahogany locks looked twice as wild fanned out behind her prone figure. She was the picture of exhaustion and neglect. Though, defeat still refused to cling to her bones.

Kogami wondered if Ito was only harnessing her reserves before attempting her escape once more.

He sidestepped her vomit, and kneeled next to her. Cautiously, the man slowly turned her over onto her back, one hand going to cradle her wrists to render them useless. His MWSPB training encouraged a quick scan of her body for any concealed weapons. When he found none and was certain that she had exhausted herself passed her ability to tussle with him, he turned his attention back to her face.

As he expected, she was looking at him with an unfathomable expression.

"I-inspector-kun," her voice cracked.

Pulling the handcuffs from his back pocket, Kogami hummed in acknowledgement. By the time she continued, he had already strapped her wrists together with the metal cuffs. It was the very same pair she had sported in his office nearly four months ago.

When she spoke again, for the first time she sounded just as much like the little girl that truly she was, "I want to go home."

Kogami stared, his disbelief completely unmasked.

"I w-want to go home," when she repeated the phrase, tears clung to her long eyelashes, wetting her cheeks as she attempted to blink back the onslaught of unwanted waterworks.

Sliding her into a sitting position and handing her over to the fresh orderlies who had just arrived panting to the room, he nodded, "Yeah, I know."

He watched her be dragged away with a strange feeling settling into his chest. For a split second he sought to place the emotion. Ultimately, he decided that it was something he would do better off not pondering on. However, if someone were to truly press him about the matter, he would say this gnawing feeling was something akin to pity.

He wasn't sure how he got there, but in the next moment he found himself already sitting his car staring out at the rain. It was then he realized that he still had the book he had intended to give to Ito in his hand. The man opened it and began to read.

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 _9th February, 2105; Tokyo, Hachiouji Rehabilitation Facility_

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"Well, what can I say, but…I _did_ warn you."

Recognizing Kagari's taunting tone, hazy eyes sought to focus on the direction from whence the voice came. No matter how much concentration Ito poured into the action, her gaze refused to focus on her ginger-haired neighbor. In a fit of frustration, she thought about using her fingers to manually move her eyes. The idea was immediately shot down when all she could manage to do was twitch her thumb.

"Woah, hey…" It was Kagari again, she was sure of it, though his voice sounded a lot less distinct, "They really did a number on you. You were completely limp when they brought you back this morning. I imagine there are some pretty strong sedatives wreaking havoc on your system right about now."

Ito blinked sluggishly. _Brought back? When had she ever left her cell?_

Chapped lips strained to form syllables. The action was much more laborious than it should have been. Her parched tongue lolled about in her mouth, tasting the dried blood that clung to her teeth.

Wait, _blood?_

When the girl found herself incapable to conjuring words, a haggard sigh dragged from her throat. Again, the small action was much more painful than it should have been. Her eyes watered from the unexpected aching.

"By the way, that lockdown and siren yesterday, that didn't happen to be your handiwork, did it?"

For a voice that she had so long sought to hear, Kagari Shusei was quickly becoming too loquacious for her liking.

But, he said something about a siren, did he not?

A flash of images burst forth from her subconscious so speedily that she almost became physically whiplashed from the unanticipated onslaught of memories.

The feeling of fingers digging into her arms as she was dragged out of her cell, half-conscious.

Her hands decorated with splotches of someone else's blood.

A shine of handcuffs and the enigmatic expression of Inspector Kogami behind the ripple of her tears.

An impossibly long needle converging on her neck as the world faded in a whirl of colors.

Oh. Right. _That_ _happened._

A shudder ran through Ito's body at the remembrance of the bout of weakness she had shone, and it seemed to bring feeling back to her extremities.

She sat up carefully, balancing herself against the rails of her bed. When she decided she had regain enough coherence to stand, a tug at her wrist pulled her back towards the bed. Honey-colored eyes sought out the culprit to find herself handcuffed to the bed by one hand. The offending, rather familiar, pair of handcuffs chaffed at her wrist.

"What a lovely gift," the girl remarked sarcastically.

She then raised her eyes toward Kagari who was watching her with an air of bemusement from across the hall.

Calling out in a hoarse voice, she said, "Well, I had every intention of coming over there to buoy your ego by affirming your 'I told you so,' but it seems I'm a bit tied up at the moment."

"I'm perfectly capable of hearing you from there if you would like to shout it out to me." Kagari smirked leaning one shoulder against the glass wall of his cell while crossing his ankles.

A true laugh, short and genuine came from Ito.

"I think I'm one vocal chord down for the time being. Get me a megaphone and I'll shout it out to the whole world for you," her smile was teasing, "Should I tell Sibyl you'll be taking its place since your logic has proven to be so infallible?"

Kagari laughed as well, though his was far less mirthful, "Yeah, right. Like a good word from you will get me anywhere but back into another cell."

"I've heard that I can be rather persuasive," the girl shot back, sitting more comfortable on her bed.

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind," the boy ruffled his ginger hair and headed toward his bed, "I expect you to put that skill of yours to use for me one day."

Ito snorted, "I don't do favor's out of the kindness of my heart, Kagari-san, I make deals for favors of my own."

"Sure, sure. If you get me out of here with that supposed silver tongue of yours one day, I'll return the favor." He laid in bed and threw a pillow over his face that muffled his next words, "Goodnight, and please don't wake me up with one of those sirens again, all right?"

Hinagiku stared at the inmate's sleeping form for a few moments before copying his position in her own bed. She struggled to get as comfortable as her immobile wrist could afford her. She tugged at her handcuffs in vain.

In the quiet of her cell, the girl vowed to escape from the Sibyl System before it managed to kill her.

Meanwhile Kogami Shinya sat in his bedroom reeling in his thoughts after finishing his first read through of _Akutagawa's Short Stories_ , and decided it was time to visit his favorite latent criminal again.

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 **Author's Note: Once again thanks to all who continued reading! AGAIN, I apologize for the long wait. I appreciate all favorites, follows, and reviews. :)**

 **Sorry this update was a little shorter than others, but I really wanted to get it out to you guys. Hopefully this chapter showed that Hinagiku has more going on than layers of wisecracking and endless waves of unfounded confidence. Kogami popped up again. I swear that he sometimes commandeers this story away from me and takes it into his own hands, ha.**

 **A special thanks to all who favorited, followed, and especially reviewed. You are all lovely people who give me to strength to write another day!**


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